Taiwan condemns China after another research vessel enters its EEZ

Taipei, July 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Thursday condemned China and accused it of violating the country's sovereignty after a Chinese research vessel completed its latest fisheries resources survey in Taiwan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) over the past week.

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced early Thursday that the survey, conducted from Friday to Thursday, was carried out by the Lanhai 201 research vessel operated by the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences.

The weeklong survey in waters east of Taiwan successfully collected "biological and environmental data to support the conservation and sustainable management of fisheries in the region," the ministry said.

In response, the CGA said it had closely monitored the Lanhai 201 throughout the past week. As of 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the vessel was located 53 nautical miles east-northeast of Lanyu or Orchid Island, an offshore island under Taitung County, and was continuing to sail north, according to a CGA press release.

The CGA said the Chinese survey, conducted in waters east of Taiwan under the pretext of a "fisheries resources survey," violated Taiwan's sovereignty.

"We call upon the Chinese side to cease such actions that harm cross-strait peace and undermine regional stability," the agency said.

This is the second time China has sent a scientific research vessel into waters east of Taiwan since June.

The Chinese oceanographic research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 22 conducted a similar survey from June 16-18 and at one point entered Taiwan's restricted waters at 24 nautical miles from the coastline.

The two incidents came after China launched a series of "special maritime law enforcement operations" in waters east of Taiwan in June in response to what it described as unilateral moves by Japan and the Philippines to begin talks on maritime boundary delimitation in the area.

China, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, said the talks seriously infringed on its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.

According to the CGA, Chinese coast guard and other official vessels have in recent weeks operated in waters east of Taiwan and around Taiwan-controlled islands in the South China Sea. They have also broadcast radio messages instructing passing merchant ships to leave the area.

In addition to the United States, the de facto embassies of the United Kingdom, Germany and France in Taiwan jointly expressed concern on June 24 over China's "special maritime law enforcement operations" in waters east of Taiwan, saying the actions threatened regional stability.